Lies cost woman her liberty

wta161013lfcourt03.jpg Masterton District Court building, corner of Dixon and Park Streets, Masterton.

Lying to police to protect her partner has cost April Lorna Marie Jackson her liberty.

April Jackson will serve 10 months prison for lying to police. PHOTO/POLICE.

The 20-year-old Masterton mother was sentenced to 10 months' jail for obstruction and perverting the course of justice.

She and Brooke Ashlee Hickey, 24, gave police a false alibi for Jackson's then partner, Michael Kane McRae, who is accused with others of a serious assault during a "minor street brawl" in Harley St on May 16.

Both have pleaded guilty to the obstruction charge. Jackson also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and breach of supervision and one charge of breaching community work.

Defence lawyer James Elliott said Jackson had been in an "atmosphere of bad influence" at the time.

He said her time in custody on bail had been a "sobering experience" and asked a home detention sentence be imposed.

"A taste of prison life has hit home in a fairly brutal fashion."

Crown prosecutor Ian Miller said an aggravating feature of the offending was Jackson was on bail at the time. An electronically monitored sentence wasn't appropriate, he said.

"She has a history of failing to comply with community-based sentences."

Judge Arthur Tompkins said the two women conspired over a number of days to create a false alibi for McRae.

"You set out to craft a story to then deceive police investigating the assaults ... this is a very serious matter."

Jackson appeared visibly shocked as Judge Tompkins told her a community-based sentence was out of the question as the most "obvious hurdle is her poor compliance with previous imposed community sentences".

He sentenced Jackson to 10 months' jail with six months' post release conditions, cancelling her previous sentences.

Hickey is due to be sentenced on September 2.